vasectomy

I am thinking about getting a vasectomy. I don't want kids and am in my younger 20s. My questions are how much of an ordeal did you have to go through to get the procedure done? How successful was It and how painful was it.

I am thinking about getting a vasectomy. I don't want kids and am in my younger 20s. My questions are how much of an ordeal did you have to go through to get the procedure done? How successful was It and how painful was it.

My husband had one after we had our third child. It was successful and he didn't have much pain. However, his brother had one as well and was in considerable pain afterwards. I also have heard that it's harder to get a doctor to perform the surgery if you're younger and have no children due to the likelihood that you'll end up wanting children down the road. It's a pretty permanent decision as reversals are not guaranteed, they're expensive and the longer it's been since the vasectomy has been done the less chance of a reversal being successful.

The procedure itself is fairly simple with very little pain and no side effects. But as Alicia said, it differs for the occasional person who experiences something unusual. And there are actually some cases of vasectomies being revered, but don't put all your eggs in that basket and assume you'll be able to change your mind after the fact.

The only difficulty with it is that most doctors will turn you away simply based on your age. They'll tell you, "You think you know what you want, but you don't. You're too young and don't know any better." And yes, it's very insulting. A person in their 20s is just as likely to have a change of mind as someone in their 40s to me. Yes, some people do regret it years down the road but I don't see it being correlated to age.

I have friends who know for sure, and have for their whole lives, that they won't be having biological children ever. And I completely believe that they won't be changing their mind. But no doctor will perform 'sterilization' on either of them so that they could stop spending money on contraceptives.

But definitely think things through in detail, know what you want for yourself, do your research, and keep demanding respect from your doctor(s).

I am thinking about getting a vasectomy. I don't want kids and am in my younger 20s. My questions are how much of an ordeal did you have to go through to get the procedure done? How successful was It and how painful was it.

It can be difficult to find a Doctor to perform the proceedure if you don't have kids and don't have a reason such as a genetic anomoly that would make it risky to get someone pregnant. The proceedure is permanent now a days and reversal isn't usually an option, so Doctors tend to want to give you time to really consider your options.

That being said it's not a terribly painful or hard proceedure (Sigel has assured me, I don't have personal experience since I don't actually own a penis!) The doctor can usually perform the proceedure in the office (Local anesthetic and just a small incision) and after a few days you are mostly painfree barring an infection. It takes up to 30 days to clear the last of the live sperm and you will be tested again in 3 months, I think it was. Sigel didn't have much discomfort and other than realizing that I actually didn't want nor need to stop having kids (long story) he hasn't been unhappy with it. Even though we have two kids, he was 26 and the Doctor made him wait three weeks to think on his decision.

Think long and hard about this, though. It nearly broke Sigel's heart when he realized he DID want another child 12 years later...and his vasectomy was irreversible. It worked out for us only because our life partner wanted to have a child and was willing to co-parent our two girls along with his own son. In the end it's your decision and I wish you the best of luck.

My procedure was very easy. I was 25 years old when my wife and I went in to talk to the doctor about getting one done. We both knew that this is what we wanted, so there was no worrying about it being the right decision for us. They made us wait one month because we did not have any children, then the procedure. They just gave me a local, 30 minutes or so later after an incision on each testicle, and I was finished. No heavy lifting for like a week, and having to wear tightie whities to prevent any pulling by the balls hanging down. No pain besides maybe some minor pain.

Most people have simple procedures that take 30 minutes or so. I had a 3 hour vasectomy that I blame on an inexperienced doctor in a teaching hospital. It was very uncomfortable and if I knew then what I know now, I would not have had it done. Most guys though, don't have a problem.

As mentioned, with your age and the fact that you haven't had kids yet, most docs may not be inclined to do the operation.